Youth Group Chronicles

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Latest Episodes:

248: E. coli Speedrun (Cole Clark & Gabe Cuomo) Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

To learn more about booking a Luke Robertson to perform for your Camp, Conference or Church event, go to http://lukerobertsonlive.com/contact

Sign up for the Culture Translator at http://axis.org/YGC. The Culture Translator is one of the easiest ways to stay informed and equipped. It's free, arrives every Friday, and gives you practical insight into the world teenagers are growing up in, along with conversation starters you can use right away.

Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Gabe Cuomo for an episode packed with youth ministry stories that somehow keep getting worse. A summer camp game involving a real cow tongue takes a disgusting turn when a group of middle school boys decide to keep the fun going long after the game is over. Plus, a VBS dunk tank creates an unfortunate wardrobe emergency, a massive game of cops and robbers goes horribly wrong, a missing camper takes an unexpected trip into town, one youth leader asks the absolute worst question at the worst possible time, an innocent attempt to serve the guys creates a very unfortunate nickname, and a cabin water-balloon war escalates way beyond anything the leaders were prepared for.

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247: The Pregnancy Announcement (Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin) Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

http://JohnCristComedy.com/tour, for tour dates and tickets.

Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with youth ministry chaos, unforgettable church moments, and stories that escalate way faster than anyone expected. The main story starts with a girl pulling up after Bible study and announcing in front of a group of students, “I’m pregnant and it’s your fault,” leaving everyone stunned and one youth pastor scrambling to figure out what she could possibly mean. Plus, a burping contest goes horribly wrong, a pastor makes an unfortunate mistake while sharing a prayer request, a homemade watermelon slingshot turns dangerous, a church scare gets an unexpected response, a worship night takes a bizarre turn, a hidden shoe leads to an ER visit, and a student’s presentation puts something on the projector that definitely wasn’t part of the lesson.

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246: Twin Towers (Cole Clark & Gabe Cuomo) Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Gabe Cuomo for an episode packed with youth ministry stories that somehow keep getting more unhinged. Leading the way is Cole and Gabe’s unforgettable “Twin Towers” story, followed by everything from a camp prank call that goes horribly off-script and an Axe body spray war with serious consequences to a four-day middle school lock-in, a very unfortunate underwear mix-up, a prank that gets badly misunderstood, and one youth trip that ends with an unexpected late-night visit to the emergency room. Plus, Sam revisits a story from Chris Estrada that turned out to be completely true—even if confirming it meant calling him while he was on vacation in Rome at four in the morning.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

245: The Sacrificial Lamb (LIVE at Uproar Conference NY 2026) Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

LIVE from Uproar Conference NY 2026 in Horseheads, New York, Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Buddy Jenkins for a packed episode of Youth Group Chronicles! The guys dive into some of the wildest youth ministry stories yet, including a conference illustration involving a live lamb that left an entire room of students horrified, a mission trip that ended with police cars and a helicopter surrounding two church vans, and a youth group mystery drink that went horribly wrong. From camp disasters to painfully awkward moments, this live episode proves once again that when youth ministry is involved, absolutely anything can happen.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

244: Camp’s Got Talent (Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin) Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Sign up for the Culture Translator at https://axis.org/YGC. The Culture Translator is one of the easiest ways to stay informed and equipped. It's free, arrives every Friday, and gives you practical insight into the world teenagers are growing up in, along with conversation starters you can use right away.

Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with youth ministry stories that somehow keep getting more unhinged. The main event takes us back to summer camp for a talent show performance that started with a bedsheet, a spotlight, and a bucket—and ended with the entire room realizing the student on stage may have taken his act a little too seriously. Along the way, they get into a sound guy’s shocking last week at camp, one youth group’s bizarre approach to relationship conflict, a preschool résumé disaster, a bonfire that spiraled wildly out of control, an unfortunate sermon catchphrase, and a camp activity involving some very questionable balloons.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

243: Three Inches of Regret (Cole Clark & Gabe Cuomo) Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

http://johncristcomedy.com/tour, for tour dates and tickets.

Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Gabe Cuomo for an episode packed with youth ministry decisions that went very, very wrong. The featured story, “Three Inches of Regret,” takes us to a mission trip in Mexico where one student’s attempt to help build a house turns into a medical emergency nobody saw coming. Plus, a youth trip with a bus driver who keeps missing exits raises some serious questions, a stolen hat returns to youth group with a disturbing backstory, a dirt bike racer has an unforgettable gas station disaster, one pastor sends possibly the worst-timed text imaginable, a late-night TP mission reveals way more than anyone bargained for, and a youth pastor gets pushed to his breaking point on the side of the road. Cole and Gabe join Sam to break down another collection of youth ministry stories you truly couldn’t make up.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

242: Silence of the Geese (Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin) Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

This week on Youth Group Chronicles, Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with youth ministry moments that went completely off the rails. A youth camp’s growing goose problem inspires a group of students to take matters into their own hands in “Silence of the Geese,” leading to a solution no leader could have possibly approved. Plus, a worship song gets taken way too literally, a harmless volleyball challenge ends in damage control, a church lock-in leaves behind a disgusting secret, and a staff member’s summer camp tradition goes painfully wrong. From an awkward interview answer and a case of mistaken identity to ghosts, Crocs, and a student claiming to be Jesus, this episode is another reminder that you never really know what’s going to happen in youth ministry.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

241: Porta Potty Confusion (LIVE at Uproar Conference Indiana 2026) Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

This week, Sam is joined LIVE from Uproar Conference Indiana 2026 for an episode packed with the kind of youth ministry stories you truly couldn't make up. From a first-time porta potty experience that leaves everyone speechless, to a camp snack discovery that changes an entire week's menu, a church game that got way more dangerous than anyone expected, and a youth leader who accidentally spent the morning with the wrong person, the stories just keep getting wilder. Add in a church hide-and-seek game with an unexpected twist, a painful sunburn "remedy," a hike gone terribly wrong, and several more unforgettable camp and church moments, and you've got another hilarious collection of youth ministry chaos that proves truth really is stranger than fiction.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

240: Sole Searching (Sha Racks & George Johnson) Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

This week, Sam is joined by Sha Racks and George Johnson for an episode full of unforgettable youth ministry moments, headlined by a story that starts with one student waking up in the middle of the night to a cabin experience they definitely never signed up for. Along the way, they react to a youth conference crush confession that goes sideways in front of hundreds of students, a prank 911 text that brings the police to Bible study, a funeral mishap that left youth volunteers struggling to keep a straight face, a camp tradition that ended with someone unexpectedly unconscious, a sledding trip involving a very unfortunate frozen squirrel, a secret nose piercing during youth service, and a fishing trip where one family member took wildlife management into his own hands. It's another hilarious episode packed with the kind of stories that make youth ministry completely unpredictable.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

239: Chemical Warfare (John Scarborough & Dustin Coe) Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

This week on the Youth Group Chronicles podcast, Sam is joined by John Scarborough and Dustin Coe for another round of unbelievable youth ministry stories, led by the unforgettable "The Text Offender." From a youth leader accidentally giving an entire amusement park full of students the wrong phone number, to a pastor whose sermon upload attracted all the wrong attention, to a camp game that ended in an unforgettable hair mishap, this episode is packed with moments that are equal parts hilarious, chaotic, and completely real. You'll also hear about a staged church arrest that terrified students, an altar call rescue gone very wrong, camp pranks that crossed every line, and plenty more stories that prove youth ministry is never boring.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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